Lock and key game board



p 5, 1958 .1. w. CAFFREY 2,852,260

LOCK AND KEY GAME BOARD Filed March 2'7, 1956 INVENTOR. JOSEPH W CFIFFREY HTTORNEY United States Patent 6 LOCK AND KEY GAME BOARD Joseph W. Catfrey, Allndale, N. J.

Application March 27, 1956, Serial No. 574,239

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-134) My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a lock and key game. I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

An object of the invention is to provide a game of this class, comprising originality of thought and of action. Further objects are that the game can be played by two, three, or four people simultaneously. It can be used in the home, schools, and public places. It has charm and skill, and can be played by young and old with utmost enjoyment.

Other objects and a complete understanding of the game may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. It being understood that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not to be confined to strict conformity with the showing thereof, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications make no material departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out and set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the game board, slightly in perspective;

Fig. 2 is a view of two of the game pieces, or men;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the colored die, or cube;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the box which holds the keys used in the game, and

Fig. 5 is a full-size sectional view of the lock and screw as attached to the board.

Reading on the drawings, the invention comprises a board 10, preferably made of laminated cardboard, having squares of difierent COlOrs, arranged as shown. Said colors are levender 12, green 13, yellow 14, brown 15, red 16, black 17. Said colored squares lead from a starting point 11, between gates 30, to a pumpkin house 19, as the first goal, the entrance to said pumpkin house 19 being designated 18, and the entrance door 19a, having a lock 21, the key to said lock being 21a, and eye screw 29, through which lock 21 passes. Said squares continue to the old shoe house 23, the second goal. The entrance to said old shoe house 23 being designated 22, and the door 23:: having a lock 25 and key 25a, and an eye screw 24, through which lock 25 passes. Said squares continue to the castle 27, the third and final goal. The

entrance to the castle 27 being designated 26, and having lock 29, a key 2%, and entrance door 27a, and an eye screw 28, through which lock 29 passes.

Each face of die or cube 31 has one color, said color being similar to one of the colors of said squares, lavender, green, yellow, brown, red, and black. The movable game pieces, or men, 32, 33, et cetera, are used by the players, each player using one such man to mark "ice his position on the game board 10. Said game pieces may be of difierent colors to distinguish them from one another.

The game proceeds in this fashion: all the movable game pieces or men, 32, 33, et cetera, are placed on the starting point 11 while the players roll the die 31 to determine the order of play. The first player to roll green starts the game. He immediately rolls again and moves his game piece from the starting arrow 11 to the first square corresponding in color to the color he has just rolled. The other players proceed in like manner. Before proceeding beyond the pumpkin house 19, each player must enter it, by first rolling a green, to gain the entrance 18. When at this point, he must choose a key from the key box 34, and if the key chosen is 21a, it will open the lock 21 to the door 191: of said pumpkin house 19. Said player is then entitled to proceed as far as the old shoe house entrance 22 on his subsequent rolls. If the player does not choose the key 21a, he is unable to open lock 21 of said pumpkin house 19 and he must return to the starting point 11 and begin to move over again, on subsequent rolls.

If a player who has already gained entrance to the pumpkin house 19 reaches the entrance 22 of the old shoe house 23 by subsequent rolls, the last of which must be a green, then said player must choose a key from key box 34 in order to open lock 25 on door 23a of the old shoe house 23. If he chooses key 25a, he gains entrance to the old shoe house 23 and is then entitled to proceed to castle 27 on subsequent rolls. If he does not choose key 25a he will be unable to open said lock 25 and must return to the entrance 18 of the pumpkin house 19 and begin again towards the old shoe house 23 on subsequent rolls. If he gains entrance to the old shoe house 23, he then is entitled to proceed, on subsequent rolls, to try to gain entrance 26 to castle 27 by rolling a green. Having rolled a green, he is then entitled to choose a key from key box 34, and if he picks key 28a he can open lock 29 to door 27:: of castle 27. If he does not pick key 28a, he is then unable to open lock 29 and must return to the old shoe house entrance 22 and proceed again to said castle 27 on subsequent rolls. The first player to gain entrance to said castle 27 is the winner of the game.

While I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention, I do not intend to limit myself to those particular means, methods, and materials, as it is apparent that other means, methods, and materials may be employed for obtaining the same results within the scope of the appended claims and without departing from the scope or spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a game for children, the combination comprising a game board having a path composed of squares of various colors, a plurality of intermediate goals between the starting point and the final goal, one of said intermediate goals being a figure of a pumpkin, another being a figure of an old shoe, and the terminal goal being a figure of a castle, each of said goals having a figure of a door, a screw eye on said door, a padlock passing through said screw eye and a key to open said padlock, each key and padlock being of a different combination, and an entrance to each of said goals, playing pieces having various colors, said playing pieces being movable on paths between said goals, variously colored chance means for designating the movement of said playing pieces along said path and into the entrances of said intermediate and terminal goals, depending upon the color rolled on said chance means; for said playing piece to enter said pumpkin house, the chance means must roll green in order to reach the entrance to said pumpkin house and then the player must choose a key to open the said padlock on said door to said pumpkin house; if the player selects the wrong key he must start over; if player selects the proper key, he then gains access to said pumpkin house by unlocking the padlock on said door; then the player proceeds to the next intermediate goal, said old shoe house and again chooses a key; if the player selects the wrong key he returns to the previous intermediate goal, said pumpkin house, from which he resumes his play of this stage of the game; if he selects the proper key to unlock said padlock of the door of said old shoe house, he is then entitled to proceed to the terminal goal, said castle; once again the player chooses a key; if he chooses the wrong key he must return to the previous intermediate goal; if he chooses the key which will unlock the padlock on the door of the castle, he is 4 entitled to enter the castle; the first player to enter the castle is the winner, the next to enter is in second place, and so forth.

2. The device as defined in claim 1, wherein said chance means comprises a cube having faces colored to match the various colors of the squares of the path between the goals.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,257,779 Anderson Feb. 26, 1918 1,500,983 Deen July 8, 1924' 1,631,505 Samis June 7, 1927 1,635,734 Ziegler July 12, 1927 2,044,122 Michener June 16, 1936 

